Remember when cellphones first became popular and they were used to, well, make phone calls? These days, phone calls are actually only one of a million ways I seem to use my cellphone (i.e why we now call them “smart”phones, ba-da-bing). It’s a map, a camera, an address book, a way to get messages to friends and family, a portal to the world, and, maybe most importantly, a way for me to do all my shopping at tons of stores no matter where I am physically.

I’ve suddenly remembered I was out of face wipes while at coffee with one of my ladies. A few clicks on Amazon and a new pack was on its way—and I didn’t have to spend my social hour trying to remember a mental shopping list. Or, let’s say I’m out of snacks for the kids’ lunches. I can buzz on over to my Target app to order crackers and trail mix while getting a much deserved monthly pedicure. I can even order my family’s dinner at Panera while I’m walking to my car in those silly flip flops and have a big brown bag of soups and sandwiches waiting to be picked up in minutes.

It’s all very convenient, but what makes it even better (and also more fun) are apps that let users get paid to shop online—for free! Imagine this: you order all the things I described above and, oh, you also get paid to do it. Okay, now stop imagining because it’s real! Here are some of my favorite apps for mobile shoppers. Give them a shot so we can all get paid to shop online for free, together! Maybe we can squeeze a second pedicure in this month thanks to the extra space in our budgets. See you at the spa!

Checkout 51: A Free App to Get Paid to Shop Online

My phone has so many functions that I can no longer live without—alarm clocks, notepads, and my work email, just to name a few—but I think the feature that has emerged as my clear and absolute favorite is, without question, the camera. I’m an Instagram addict—and I know I’m not alone! There’s nothing like posting a pic of some clever latte art or a floral arrangement I made for our mantle and just waiting for the little hearts to come pouring in from all my online buddies.

But, I also use my camera for more functional reasons, too. I use it to snap pictures of important slides during presentations at my office and to take pictures of important receipts so that I don’t lose them in the junk drawer. I think that’s why I’ve come to like Checkout 51 so much. It’s basically a rebate app, where you get paid to shop online for free after you make your purchases.

I like to use it both in-store and online. When you use it in-store, you just snap a quick picture of your receipt for purchasing certain products and offers and get paid; when you use it to shop online, you do the exact same thing with your purchases there. Easy, easy, easy!

Pro tips: The Checkout 51 app lists its new deals on Thursday of every week. And, it’s an especially effective choice if you’re in the market for free apps that pay you to grocery shop because you can use it with Amazon grocery.

Get Paid to Shop Online With the Free App BeFrugal

Another thing about my smartphone that I’ve gotten too used to these days to live without is the easy access to information. The website I search the most on my phone is IMDB, short for Internet Movie Database. It seems like I’m always having conversations about actors and actresses, like, “Was James Franco in this?” or, “I know Anne Hathaway was in that.” Sometimes, the only way to settle these debates about who was in what and when is to open up IMDB. What, I wonder, did we ever do without such quick access to information?

This next shopping reward app, BeFrugal, is a cool one because it’s also based on information. It’s another rebate site that gives you cash back for making certain purchases online. I’ve gotten deals for as much as 30% back! The rebates go into your account, and then you can cash them in using your PayPal account. Again, this one is also super easy.

The info part that I like so much is that, with BeFrugal, if you find another site offering a higher percentage back, BeFrugal not only applies that higher rate to your purchases, but it also gives you an extra 25% on top of it. How cool is that? Um, a whopping 25% more cool, I’d say.

Shopkick: The Best App to Get Paid to Shop Online for Free

Games. Have I mentioned the games on my smartphone yet? I’m a big fan of the popular puzzle ones, especially Candy Crush. Man, have I spent a lot of time crushing those little candies!

What I love about this third app, Shopkick, is that it turns any and all shopping into a game. The way the app works is that it gives you points, called kicks, for all kinds of things. When you go shopping at a store, this includes paying you to scan barcodes, purchase featured items, and even to simply walk into some popular retailers.

Shopkick also gives you points for the shopping you do online, as well as browsing webshops, watching videos, and, of course, making purchases. I love using this free app to hunt down piles of points and then convert them into gift cards to all my favorite stores. It’s soooo much better than Candy Crush since it comes with big savings!

So there you have it, three of my favorite apps that will turn your phone into an even more useful part of your life than it already is, i.e. a headquarters for getting paid to shop online with free apps. And, you can even combine apps like Checkout 51 with BeFrugal and Shopkick to take all your savings to the next level—and for doing things you already do!

Sometimes I try to think of ways my phone could be even more useful than it is now. Unless it actually grows legs and goes out and does all my shopping for me, thanks to free shopping rewards apps, I’m not sure it’s possible.

Start getting paid to shop online with Shopkick. Download the free shopping rewards app and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the fun of shopping with us on your team!

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image courtesy Yastremska